European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 07, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes . Sunday. August 7, Texas inmates say new by Ben Wear Cox news service Austin Texas this is a Story about the cold harsh realities of prison life about fear deprivation and humiliation. This is a Story about loss of Freedom and the need for simple human dignity. This is a Story about pants. Specifically the Standard Issue White Cotton pants worn by the 8000 or so male inmates in the Texas prison system the Texas department of criminal Justice came us with a new design for the trousers in its summer collection this year one that eliminates the Button tip Fly or any Fly for that matter. Prison officials have begun to phase in the new pants As they come off the inmate Assembly line replacing the old ventilated Model. That Means prisoners with Ful bladders and new pants can get Relief Only by dropping their drawers. Inmate Alan Wade Johnson who is imprisoned at the Mark Stiles unit in Beaumont is concerned enough about the new duds that he recently fired off letters to it. Gov. Bob Bullock a few legislators and the news Media. Johnson serving a life sentence for rape and robbery called the pants problem an Rostenkowski asks dismissal of indictment by the congressional quarterly Washington in a move that probably will delay his trial rep. Dan Rostenkowski s lawyers Friday asked a Federal court to dismiss the entire 17-count corruption indictment against him on separation of Powers grounds. Attorneys for the Illinois Democrat argued that the indictment violates constitutional provisions giving Congress the right to make and enforce its own rules and shielding members from prosecutions based on legislative acts. They also said House rules on office budgets and Campaign funds Are so vague and give members so much discretion that the Case is ill suited for  Vav the lawyers asked . District judge Norma Hollo Way Johnson  prosecutors to reveal additional information about their Case and to cull grand jury re cords in search of constitutionally it proper evidence. Rostenkowski s motion to dismiss the indictment is the first shot in what Likely will be a Long pretrial Battle. Prosecutors have until sept. 2 to respond to the motion and Johnson has said she May decide to hear Oral arguments before ruling. Once she rules either Side can Appeal the pretrial constitutional issues All the Way to the supreme court which could delay the Case for years. Prosecutors say Rostenkowski embezzled or misused _ $724,000 in Public and Campaign funds by paying employees House funds for personal tasks Ana Ether unofficial purposes by procuring cars for his family with House and Campaign funds and by buying things for himself and associates with his official stationery. _ dl3uibut&d by scrupps Howard news service explosive  you May crack a smile and laugh about it Johnson wrote. But give it time to sink in and think about the consequences of. Male prisoners wearing female attire and i believe you la understand it s not so  a sobering image to be sure. You must understand masculine identity. Is so much stronger in prison than in society and the majority Are not going to stand for it Johnson  it turns out is a key aspect of prisoner discontent with the change. One bemused prison official said angry inmates primary beef to him has been that the new outfits will Force them to assume a Ladylike position when nature Calls. Female inmates by the Way have a Choice Between a skirt and pants very similar to the new men s trousers. A prison official said most of the women choose to Wear the pants which like the new men s version Lack even the cosmetic touch of a fake Fly on the front. Johnson in his letter to Bullock urged the state s second highest official to consider the emotional won f Fly Impact on those of us who will be forced to dress like women. I be already gotten about a half dozen of those letters raising hell said Larry Kyle assistant director of Industry for the prison system arid thus sort of the Calvin Klein of Texas Penitentiary fashion. None of the prisoners like the new design because it s not As. I guess  Kyle said the flood of prisoners entering the system Over the past year led to the pants change. A year ago the system had just More than 60,000 inmates. And every new customer requires an outfit. Kyle said the Fly less pants Are significantly faster and slightly cheaper for inmates to manufacture. But in Light of the outcry Kyle said his staff has begun work on yet another design that will feature an elastic Waistband front and Back. The new pants have elastic Only in the Back still some inmates Likely will remain unhappy no doubt yearning for the Manly world of zippers and buttons outside prison Walls. Could that Nave an unintended positive  on recidivism yeah maybe it la do that and be worthwhile Kyle said with a chuckle. Maybe this will be  _ clasping onto an Issue first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton clasps the hand of part of her Campaign for health Reform told the18-Vear-old Matt Austin of Rillions. Mint. Iurino that Aii . A r"1" Roia tne18-year-ol t f Billings Mont during a meeting Friday in Washington d.c., with people who a. _ a f y a v _ a v v1 with i Vaj have health and health insurance problems. Clinton As Cular dystrophy. � a   i iu1u his Tuu that All lawmakers should have to look them in the Eye and talk to them personally. Austin suffers from mus no 4ubl_ firms u red to donate some i leg a i a id new Orleans a the american bar association wants the nation s 500 largest Law firms to Promise to donate at least 3 percent of their Legal help to the needy. So far Only one third have signed up. Those that joined the Campaign have helped Crea Telow income housing set up a Legal office in a Community health clinic and aided victims of Hurricane an Drew. A a our firm represents people with big needs but Sud Denly we were representing people whose needs were even greater said Janet Munn of the Miami firm of steel Hector and Davis. The firm set up a free Law of fice at the disaster assistance Center in Homestead Fla. For its efforts the firm will receive the Aba s top award monday for Law firms providing free Legal serv ices to the poor. The Aba began its annual convention in new Orleans on thursday. Munn s firm helped Hurricane victims Settle insurance claims get emergency Money to pay their rent and avoid eviction and file claims against contractors who took Money to make repairs and either disappeared sordid shoddy work. We Felt that we could do it and we should do it Munn said. Many lawyers have Long provided some of their work pro Bono for free to people who cannot afford to pay. In april 1993, the Aba asked the nation s 500 largest firms to Promise in writing to donate at least 3 percent to 5 percent of their time. So far 166 firm shave done so. We actually thought that was pretty Good for the first round of the Campaign said Washington attorney James Jones who chairs the bar group s pro Bono project advisory committee. The bar association will renew its push for firms to sign pledges this fall he said. The Aba counts Only actual Legal work performed on behalf of the needy not other charitable work or bar association activities. V Lawrence kill of Anderson kill Olick & Oshinsky in new York noted that the four months a member of his firm spent in Haiti As a human rights observer did t count in the Aba s criteria. This firm is dedicated to Public service and i think we rank with anyone said kill whose firm has not joined the Aba Campaign it s what you do not what you